BETA PHOTO: Joe Garcia passing the second roof of P1 on The Go...
Description
This is an outstanding climb up a long, sustained, & aesthetic line on mostly bullet-hard rock. You get some of everything on this route, from tips to chimney, plus a face-y crux. Once at the base, it would be pretty hard to get off-route.
P1: (5.11-) Climb the left side of the small pillar, then continue up the clean fingers corner. Pass a small roof to the left, then continue up crack past another roof to 2-bolt anchor with fixed 'biners. (maybe 140'???)
P2: (5.11+) Continue up crack, passing left under a roof, then up to a nice rest below a small overlap. Rest up, then bust through the crux on thin face & stemming moves past 2 bolts, then up easier ground to the next anchors. (maybe 90')
P3: (5.11a/b) Continue up crack past an overhanging hands section to easier ground that leads to a large roof. Ascend the obvious slot in the roof, then up a nice corner thru an off-width roof to another bolted belay with fixed 'biners. (maybe 110')
P4: (5.10+) Continue up crack past a long off-width section to another bolted anchor.
P5: (5.7) Long, obvious crack/chimney system gets you to another belay near the summit of the spike.
To descend rappel the route with 2 ropes.
Location
From the big cairn at the end of H.S. Canyon trail, look up and left. The Golden Spike ascends a continuous crack system in a corner near the middle of the wall that eventually leads to the left side of a semi (barely?) detached 'spike' up high near the top. The P1 belay anchors are barely visible from the ground on the face just left of the crack.
Once you have identified the line, continue up the wash from the big cairn for a couple minutes, then bushwhack up a steep slope to the base, utilizing a small break in the headwall a bit right of the route.
Protection
Despite the long approach, I recommend the following: Triples from yellow metolius thru #4 Camalot. Singles of cams from blue Metolius down to tiny. 1 set of nuts including a couple tiny ones. Several runners. 2 quickdraws.
Those willing to carry a few extra pieces for better pro opportunities could bring an extra #1 & 2 Camalots and a yellow metolius. Also a #5 Camalot would not go un-used.
Recently did this climb, really great location and climbing especially on the first two pitches, the rock is perfect. Mike, we had a single light jacket for belays, its up pretty high and could be cool in the shade. I must be dumb or something but we ended up on the summit with no anchors. Not a big deal you just need 15 feet of cord to sling a boulder. The forth belay also is a single bolt, which we had to tie on new webbing for rapping, kinda scary. If your headed out, take some bail webbing, but who doesn't in sedona?
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